Habitat Plan 2 - Onondaga Lake Partnership

DRAFToccurred. For 2009-2010, NYSDOH advises the public to consume nowalleye, no bass greater than 15 inches in length, and to eat no morethan one meal a month of all other species and smaller bass due tomercury, dioxins, and PCBs.These advisories continue to be updated, and new information can befound on the NYSDOH web site (http://www.health.state.ny.us).2.2.3 Present-day Community BenefitsSalt City Bassmasters fish onOnondaga Lake.MinkDespite the impact of the industrial activities over the past century,Onondaga Lake continues to provide many beneficial aspects to thecommunity. Some of these community benefits are listed below (TAMS2002b):• Boating -The marina located on the eastern shoreline of the lake,and the lake’s connection to the Seneca River, facilitate use ofthe lake by boaters. Onondaga Lake is home to the OnondagaLake Yacht Club, the Syracuse University Crew teams, theSyracuse Chargers Rowing Club, and several local schoolrowing teams. Canoes and kayaks are available to the generalpublic for rental. The lake has also received national attention asit was the recent site of the U.S. Open of Watercross personalwatercraft races in May, 2009.• Fishing – Onondaga Lake contains numerous fish speciessought after by recreational anglers. Onondaga County hoststhe yearly Fishing for Dollars tournament, and local groups suchas the Salt City Bassmasters routinely fish on the lake. In 2007,ESPN hosted the 2007 Bassmasters Memorial FishingTournament on Onondaga Lake. The North American FishingClub lists the Lake as one of the country’s top locales for bass(www.onondagacountyparks.com).• Hunting – Where permission has been granted by theappropriate landowner and when laws permit, the shores ofOnondaga Lake provide hunting and trapping opportunities.Waterfowl and deer populations are abundant enough to supporthunting. In addition, mink, fox, and other mammals can betrapped.• Recreation – More than 75% of the shoreline of Onondaga Lakeis owned by Onondaga County and is classified as parkland.Last year, 1.3 million visitors used the park for picnicking,walking, jogging, roller blading, and bicycling (Geraci, 2009). Inaddition, the recreational-use path along Onondaga Lake Park isbeing expanded along the southern shoreline across NinemileCreek. The remainder of the lakeshore is currently beingevaluated to create a continuous trail around the entire lake.• Swimming – In the past, the lake has been used for recreationalswimming. The northern two-thirds of the lake is classified byNYS for direct recreational contact (i.e., Class B Waters), butswimming from shore is prohibited because of regulationsPARSONS | Remedial Design Elements for Habitat Restoration 35